Unconditional Love
by Unhappy Fortune
Summary: The members of the Elgang have fallen in love with each other. Read this story to find out what happens between them and the adventures that awaits them. (I try to make it mainly Raven x Rena.)
1. Confession

**Hello this is my first fan-fic. This fan-fic mainly consists of Raven x Rena, but also other pairings like Elsword x Aisha and Chung x Eve. Hope you guys enjoy it! **

**Casts:  
Elsword- Lord Knight (Age- 16)  
Aisha- Elemental Master (Age- 18)  
Rena- Wind Sneaker (Age- ?)  
Raven- Reckless Fist (Age- 27)  
Eve- Code: Nemesis (Age- ?)  
Chung- Deadly Chaser (Age- 16)**

Chapter 1: Raven and Rena

A gentle afternoon summer breeze brushed passed Rena's face as she lay on the grass enjoying her free time. She thought about many things; about her home, about the adventures she's had, about the Elgang and especially about Raven. Rena admired every aspect of Raven; his looks, personality, past… the list goes on but she was unsure if he loved her back. Her thoughts were interrupted when a low, mature voice called her name. Rena's heartbeat began racing for she knew who it was. It was none other than Raven.  
"H- Hey Raven. What's wrong?"

"Nothing I was just wondering where you were. Sorry if I disturbed you." Raven said as he looked away with a blush on his face that was barely noticeable.  
"Don't worry I was getting bored anyway." Rena replied hastily with a smile. "Hey since you're here would you like do some training?"

"Sure!" Raven replied with a smile. Raven was the type of person that didn't smile very often, but when he did, it makes Rena feel happy and causes her to blush.

"Hey are you feeling alright? Your cheeks are turning pink." Raven said as he reached forward to touch Rena's forehead.

"Wha… What are you talking about?! I feel fine." However just when Raven made contact with her, Rena's face started to turn red and heat up.  
"Wow you really are sick. How can I train with you like this, let me carry you home so you can get some rest." Rena couldn't take it anymore. The thought of raven carrying her was just too much and caused her to fall over and faint.  
"Rena? Rena!" Raven caught her before she hit the ground. "What were you thinking? You should've told us if you weren't feeling well." He said as he carried Rena in his arms (bridal style). She was light and he blushed as he studied Rena's face. She looked just like his fiancée, Seris (who was slaughtered right before him by the person he thought was his best friend, Alex). Raven shivered at the memory and try to shake it off. Raven was in love with Rena mainly because she looked so similar to Seris and her personality resembled Seris as well. That's why he decided to stay with the Elgang even though he could've left long ago.

After a few minutes of walking with the unconscious Rena in his arms, Raven finally reached their current resident. A mansion that was given to them by the villagers of Elder as their gratitude for helping them. As Raven approached the mansion, he could hear shouting from inside the house. He let out a sigh and entered the building.

"What do you think you guys are doing? I can hear you all the way from outside."  
"Oh… uh… hey Raven…" Elsword replied as he noticed the presence of the swordsman. "Aisha and I was just having a discussion about whether we should go to Velder or Feita for our next adventure. I was thinking we should go to Vel-"

"No! You idiot! Velder is far too dangerous for us at our current level. We need to go to Feita and train a bit more before we go!"

"I can't wait any longer; I want to go look for my sister already!"

"Quiet! The both of you." Raven hissed, careful not to wake Rena. Elsword and Aisha immediately stopped, startled by the sudden aggressiveness of the swordsman who rarely showed any emotions. There was an awkward silence until Aisha finally noticed what raven was carrying. She gasped.  
"Oh god. Raven what's wrong with Rena!" She said in urge and worry.  
" You just realised…" Elsword said with an annoyed look on his face.  
"Shut up Eldork it's not like you realised either, you hypo-crit."

"What did you just call me?!"

"What are you deaf or something?! I called you EL-DORK and HYPO-CRIT." Aisha replied while emphasizing eldork and hypocrit.

"Why you…" Elsword said in anger as he drew his sword.  
"Oh so you want to fight now? Bring it on!" Aisha challenged as she pulled out her wand. Rena moved uncomfortably in Raven's arms. Noticing this, Raven quickly walked upstairs to her bedroom, gently placed Rena down on her bed and covered her with a blanket. He sat on the edge of her bed and felt her forehead. The heat had faded and her face was no longer red. Raven sat there for a few more minutes before the sound of a vase cracking made him sprint back downstairs.

"Those two… Seriously so annoying…" He mumbled as he rushed down. Elsword and Aisha were still at it. "You two! Stop fighting like an old married couple. If you want to fight, take it outside!"  
"Old… Married… Couple…?!" Elsword and Aisha said in sync while both blushing. They finally stopped and there was a deathly silence. Raven sighed with relief. "Where are Chung and Eve?"

"They left around half an hour ago." Elsword answered.

"To go where and why?"

"To do a dungeon together. Honestly they should just ask each other out already…" Aisha said with a what seemed like pissed off look. "Why do you need them?" Aisha questioned.

"I just need Eve to have a look at Rena." Raven said with a worried look.

"What's up with her?" Aisha questioned.  
"I'm not sure she suddenly fainted when we were going to start some training."

"I could have a look at her, I know some things about fever and flu."

"Oh ok. That'd be great. Thanks."  
"No worries. I'll be there in a sec to see your, soon- to- be- girlfriend." Aisha said with a mischievous look on her face. Elsword who was listening to the conversation couldn't stop himself from giggling at that statement. Raven's face started to go red. "Wh… why would you say that all of a sudden?"  
Aisha laughed. "It's payback for what you said to Elsword and me." She said and poked her tongue out after that. Raven was silent with his mouth slightly open and his face was hot pink. "Anyway you head upstairs and stay by Rena's side. I'll be there soon." Raven nodded and made his way up to Rena's bedroom although it did seem like Aisha was setting something up. He shook his head. _I'm probably just over-thinking._ He opened the door to Rena's room and saw that she was awake and sitting up on her bed looking out the window. "Rena! You're up already?! Are you feeling better now?" Startled, Rena quickly looked away from the window and stared at Raven.

"Oh hey Raven. I feel better now. Sorry for making you worry." She replied while giving Raven a warm smile. Raven blushed. "It was you who carried me here when I passed out right?" Rena questioned with a blush.

"Uh… yeah… sorry if you feel uncomfortable about that." Rena laughed.

"Don't worry I don't mind." Raven smiled. He loved seeing Rena laugh. It was attractive and captivating. Just then, Aisha opened the door with Elsword following behind.

"Having fun are we? You two lovebirds." She said in a childish tone. Raven and Rena blushed.  
"You already got your revenge could you stop with that?" Raven replied while still blushing. Aisha laughed. "Of course not. This is just too fun. Now let me have look at Rena." She walked up to Rena and felt her forehead. "Mmmm… you don't seem to be sick or anything. I think you're fine." Raven let out a sigh of relief. Rena smiled at Aisha and thanked her.

"Well my job is done here. I'll give you two some alone time. Come on Elsword." Surprisingly, Elsword followed obediently.

"Well. I should stop lying around and do some chores." Rena said as she made her way out of bed. Raven stopped her.

"Are you sure you can handle the stress after passing out like that?"

"Of course I can. I can't just lie around in bed. I still have heaps of things to do." Raven thought about it and he let her go. "Ok, but try not to go overboard and call me if you need help."

"Thanks Raven." Rena smiled at Raven.

"Uh… no worries." He said as he returned Rena's smile and headed out of the room. However, just when Raven was about to step out of Rena's room, he felt a soft hand grab him by the arm. He looked back to see Rena. "What's wrong?" Rena didn't reply. Instead she blushed and looked away as soon as she made eye contact with Raven. "Hey. Are you feeling sick again? I can call Aisha to check on you if you want." By now Raven was facing Rena and waited patiently for a reply.

"No don't worry. I feel fine. It's just…"

"It's just what?" Rena faced Raven.

"Raven… ever since I met you, I always thought you were different. I didn't realise I had these feelings until today." There was a short silence before Rena continued. "Raven… I… I love you." Raven's eyes widened and he was speechless, then he blushed and replied with a smile,  
"I love you too Rena." Rena was filled with joy and relief as she hugged Raven while crying tears of joy. It was a warm embrace and seemed to have lasted forever. When they broke their embrace, Raven chuckled, wiped the tears off Rena's face and gave her a kiss on the cheeks. Rena's face went hot pink.

"Hah! I knew it!"

**That's the end of chapter one. Sorry it did seem a bit shorter than I thought. Thank you for reading it though. I'll hopefully be posting a chapter once every week. If you have any questions please feel free to post them in the reviews. Oh and if you'd like to ask a question to a certain character in the story then just state it clearly in your comment that you would like to ask them a question.  
e.g. I have a question for Raven; (enter question) and I'll review them at the end of my next chapter. Until then. See yas! **


	2. An Old Nemesis

**Previously:**

**Raven and Rena had confessed their love for each other but during their moment, they were interrupted by a childish voice…**

Chapter 2: An Old Nemesis

Aisha let out a sigh as she stared at the cracked vase. She had promised Rena that she'd do all the chores for her but now she regrets her decision and she was only halfway through. _How does Rena deal with all these chores? _She wondered to herself.

_*Flashback*_

"_Hah! I knew it!" Raven and Rena quickly let go of each other when they heard the voice but were too late. Aisha was already standing at the door watching them contently. Raven and Rena did not make eye contact with Aisha. In fact, they weren't even making eye contact with each other. There was an awkward silence. _

"_Well I'll be off to do some chores now." Rena said with a smile, pretending nothing had happened._

"_Oh no you shouldn't, I'll do the chores. You just stay here and enjoy your time with Raven." Aisha said with a mischievous smile.  
"But-"_

"_No buts you need some rest anyway after passing out like that." Rena considered Aisha's opinion before agreeing. Aisha smiled._

"_Ok, then it's decided." She said cheerfully before skipping away._

_*End of flashback*_

Aisha let out another sigh. _Hey I know! I could ask Elsword for help. _Although she doubted he'd help, she might as well try. She found Elsword lying on the couch watching T.V. "Hey Elsword, do you mind helping me with the chores?" Elsword looked at Aisha.  
"How come Rena isn't doing them?"

"Oh I wanted to do it for her."

"Well if you asked to do it. Then do it yourself." He said as he directed his attention back to the T.V.

"Fine if you didn't want to help then just say so." Aisha replied, clearly annoyed. She was about to walk away when Elsword called out.

"Fine I'll help." Aisha was surprised that he actually wanted to help but she was also grateful at the same time.

"Thank you." She said with a smile. Elsword blushed although Aisha didn't notice.

"N-No worries."

"Firstly, could you help me pick up the cracked pieces of the vase and throw them away?"

"Yeah sure." A few minutes into the process, Aisha accidently cut herself on a piece of glass.

"Ouch!" She yelped.  
"What's wrong?" Aisha showed Elsword the cut on her finger. The blood was oozing out and it could get infected if it wasn't treated to soon.

"You idiot. So careless." Elsword stated with a pissed off look.

"Hey if you hadn't knocked the vase in the first place this wouldn't have happened."

"So it's my fault huh…" Elsword stood up and walked away.

"Hey where are you going?"

"To get the first aid kit." Aisha was shocked by Elsword's response. Normally he'd ignore her and get on with his own business, but today he seemed different. _Why am I being so nice to her?_ Elsword wondered. He found the first aid kit in a cupboard and brought it back to Aisha. Aisha blushed as he helped apply the band-aid on her finger.

"Thanks." Aisha said gratefully. "Sorry for blaming the injury on you."

"No don't worry, you were right, I shouldn't have knocked the vase down in the first place."

"Huh? Elsword are you sick or something? You don't normally act like this you know." She went to feel Elsword's forehead but he slapped her arm away.  
"I'm fine don't worry about it. Let's just get all the chores done so I can enjoy the rest of my free time peacefully." He said looking annoyed.

"Fine then." After they had finished all the chores Aisha decided to go out to buy some groceries.

"Oi! Wait for me, I'm coming as well."  
"Why? Didn't you say you want to enjoy your free time?" Elsword hesitated.

"A girl like you shouldn't go out alone. You could get attacked." He responded after a few seconds of silence.

"During the day?" Aisha laughed.  
"W- What's so funny? It can happen you know… and it's almost night time…" Elsword replied while looking away with an embarrassed look. Aisha was still laughing but stopped when she realised he was serious. She sighed.

"Ok… you may come." Elsword smiled brightly. He went to get his sword and met Aisha at the exit of the building. On their way to the market, Elsword spotted Chung and Eve walking home together.

"Hey Chung, Eve!" Chung and Eve looked towards Elsword and Aisha and quickly made their way across the street to meet them.

"Hey what are you two doing here together?" Chung questioned. Before one of them could reply, he quickly added. "Could this be a date?!"

"What?! No of course not!" Aisha said hastily.

"Then what are you two doing here?" Eve questioned.

"We came to buy some groceries for Rena to make dinner." Aisha answered. "How did the dungeon go? Did you two have fun doing a dungeon together?" Aisha pointed out with a 'if you know what I mean look'. Chung blushed. Eve on the other hand, didn't. She was a Nasod Queen so she almost didn't have any emotions. However, when around Chung, there were hints that she took a liking to him although it was very vague. Noticing that Chung was getting uncomfortable, Eve quickly thought up something to get away.

"I think we should head back now, Chung's exhausted from that dungeon run and you guys need to buy the groceries. It's getting late."

"You're right. Aisha let's get going." Elsword said.

"Sure! See you guys at home!" Aisha said with a smile. Chung and Eve gave an approving nod and continued their way back home. Elsword and Aisha continued on with their shopping, it was getting dark and the street lights have begun to turn on. By the time they finished, the sun had already set. Elsword and Aisha walked back together on a deserted road. The mansion was situated pretty far from the village but not so far that they're unable to get there by walking. There was an awkward silence between them.  
"Hey Ai-" Elsword was interrupted by the sound of growling nearby. He froze and beads of sweat started to drip down his forehead. Aisha froze as well. They both knew that growl. It was a beast they fought together when they first met. Back then they were still at their base class. The trees shook as the beast revealed himself from the darkness.

"Long time no see… Berthe." Elsword greeted it while he drew his sword. Berthe gave a tremendous roar before kneeling briefly and galloping towards Elsword and Aisha.

"**ARMAGEDDON BLADE!" **Elsword shouted as he transcends his sword with a powerful aura increasing the range of it.

"Elsword could you keep him at bay while I store up some mana?" Aisha shouted over the stomping of Berthe as it made its way towards them. Elsword nodded and charged forward. The beast slashed at Elsword but he swiftly evaded the attack by jumping on its paw. Using this chance, he raised his sword above his head and brought it down upon the beast's body. Berthe flinched but the blade didn't even leave a scratch on it.

"Just as tough as ever." Elsword muttered under his breath. **"FATAL FURY!" **He started striking Berthe with a charged sword attack. Despite his efforts, Berthe blocked every attack with ease. "Ok now you're really starting to piss me off." Elsword yelled at the beast. He ran forward recklessly and didn't notice that Berthe was turning around. Next minute you know, Elsword was knocked off his feet by Berthe's tail. A searing pain spread from his left side as he struggled to get up. Berthe lumbered towards him. It raised its forepaws. Elsword watched in dismay as he continued struggling to get up. _Is this the end? _He thought to himself. _Am I going to die without finding my sister? _Elsword finally gave up and lay on the ground waiting for Berthe to end his life.

"**BLIZZARD SHOWER!" **Aisha teleported in front of Berthe and froze him in place with her spell. She then quickly turned around and gave Elsword an intermediate potion. "You shouldn't be so reckless you know. Don't let your rage take over. You're lucky I had health potions." Elsword grunted as he sat up in his position.

"Thanks." He said while blushing. Aisha blushed as well. She helped Elsword up.

"Berthe isn't gonna stay frozen forever. We should go get some hel-" Just as Aisha said this, Berthe howled. A gust of wind obstructed Elsword and Aisha's view. Taking this chance to attack, Berthe kneeled briefly, then galloped towards the two.  
"Watch out!" Aisha pushed Elsword away but she was caught in Berth's attack. "Arghh!" She screamed in pain as she was sent flying through the air.

"Aisha!" Elsword yelled as he got up and ran towards Berthe. The aura had disappeared from his sword but he didn't have time to summon it again. Aisha's life was in peril. Berthe raised its paws and was about to slash Aisha. _Crap! I gotta save her! _"Aisha!" but he was too late. Berthe had already brought his paws down upon the unconscious girl.


	3. Defeat, Recovery and Sorrow

**Reviews:  
Hey guys thanks a lot for the reviews. It really made my day! XD I know it does seem to turn into Elsword x Aisha in the last chapter. I'm only good at writing action though, so other than that, I think everything else is boring. So sorry and please bear with me. **

**Previously:**

**Elsword and Aisha finish their chores and head out to do some shopping. However on the way back, they encounter an old nemesis, Berthe. They were easily defeated and Aisha is now under the claws of Berthe…**

Chapter 3- Defeat, Recovery and Sorrow:

Elsword POV

_No… Aisha… it's all my fault. If I hadn't been so reckless, you wouldn't have had to save me._ I tried fighting my tears back but I couldn't stop them. I stared at where Berthe was. I didn't know whether he was there or not. Everything was silent. The dust was preventing me from seeing anything. I kneeled there. Unable to stand, shivering from shock. After what seemed like forever, I heard Berthe growl. I guess it's my turn to die now. I closed my eyes but there were no signs of Berthe making its way towards me. In fact he was just growling, in anger it seems. I slowly opened my eyes. The dust was beginning to clear and I could make out the outline of Berthe.

Normal POV

Elsword tried not to pay attention to whatever was under Berthe's claws but something caught his eye. He looked closely and recognised the figure. Elsword gasped. It was Raven! The swordsman was holding back the claws of the beast with his Nasod Arm however Berthe was barely using half of his strength and Raven was already under great strain.

"**Pheonix Strike!" **A red fiery phoenix flew towards Berthe knocking him back and burning him. Rena then landed beside Raven. They gave each other a nod before Raven ran off to attack Berthe.

"**Wild…" **Raven began charging the Nasod Arm. **"Charge!" **He unleashed the power with a devastating magical punch directed at beast growled in anger, clearly annoyed.

"Elsword! Take Aisha somewhere safe while we deal with Berthe."  
"But you need more people to be able to bring him down!"

"Who said they were alone." Elsword turned to see Eve floating towards him with Chung close behind.

"Chung! Ev-"

Before Elsword could call her name, Eve slapped him.

"What was that for?!"

"For not being able to protect Aisha."

Elsword went silent.

"Hey Eve you don't need to be that har-"

"No Chung, she's right. Promise me you guys won't… die… while I take Aisha somewhere safe ok?" Chung and Eve nodded before Elsword ran towards the unconscious girl. He picked her up on his back and sprinted towards the mansion. Chung and Eve diverted their attention to Berthe.

"**Explosion Impact!" **Eve created a Nasod Whip. She attempted to launch Berthe into the air with the whip however the beast was knocked back instead. She swung the Nasod Whip again so that it was wrapped around Berthe. The whip then exploded.

"**Shooting Star!" **Chung launched twelve guided missiles from his cannon and aimed them at Berthe, exploding on impact. Dust was rising, obstructing their view once again. "Did we get him?" Chung questioned. Eve gave Chung an uncertain look. They all waited nervously. Berthe howled signalling that he was still alive and also clearing the dust. The beast began charging an attack in its mouth.

"Everybody get away!" Eve yelled as she realised what was happening, but she was too late. Berthe had shot the beam towards them and they took the full blow of the attack. The beam ended and the four friends lay on the ground unconscious. Berthe let out a roar of victory before the beast lumbered away.

* * *

Aisha awoke the next morning to see Elsword sitting at the edge of her bed patting her purple hair. They made eye contact with each other. There was a moment of silence before Aisha let out an ear piercing scream.

"Wha- What are you doing in my room Elsword?!" Aisha yelled at the red-haired boy.

"I was just looking after you calm down… sheesh…" Elsword protested with a sigh.

"How is patting me on the head while I'm asleep called looking after me? That can be considered sexual harassment you know!"

"Fine then I'll leave since you don't appreciate my efforts." Elsword stood up and left the room making sure to close the door as he left. Aisha sighed. _Maybe I overreacted. I should apologize to him later. _Elsword shuffled down the hallway and entered Chung's room. Eve was studying some photos of Hamel on his wall before she saw Elsword.

"Hello Elsword."

"Hey. Are you sure you can walk around?"

"Yeah my circuits weren't damaged that much thanks to Chung." Eve's face darkened as she recalled the memory.

_*Flashback*_

_Just before Berthe was about to attack, Chung and Raven had gone into berserk mode and jumped in front of Eve and Rena. Using his Destroyer (the cannon), Chung held it in front of him in a defensive position to protect Eve from the full blow of the attack although he took a great amount of damage. Raven also did the same for Rena with his Nasod Core but he too took a lot of damage._

_*End of Flashback*_

Elsword looked at Chung who was lying in bed covered in bandages. His armour lay on the floor next to his bed with his half destroyed, Destroyer as well. _How ironic._

"Has Chung woken up before?"

"No but the racquet you made in Aisha's room should wake him sooner or later. What were you guys doing?"

"Oh um… nothing. Just startled her when she awoke. Sorry for disturbing you."

"No worries." Elsword then left the room and closed the door. He made his way to Rena's room but the elf wasn't there. He figured where she might be and headed to Raven's room instead. Elsword opened the door quietly and walked into the room. Rena was crawled up next to Raven sleeping peacefully. They were both almost fully covered in bandages. Elsword didn't want to disturb the couple so he left the room quietly. The red haired boy thought about many things. His face darkened as he thought about how useless he was in the fight against Berthe. He gritted his teeth, angry at himself.

"I'm sorry… Raven, Rena, Chung, Eve… and Aisha…" he mumbled under his breath as a tear fell down his face. "I swear I'll get stronger to protect you guys…"

* * *

Raven awoke from his sleep due to the pain. He opened his eyes and looked around his room. He glanced at the time. It was already midday. Raven tried moving his right arm but he felt something soft against it. He looked down to see Rena. The swordsman's face began heating up but he liked the comfort of her presence. He lay there for a bit to enjoy the moment. It wasn't long before he heard a soft voice.

"Raven?" Raven looked down to his side and gazed into the elf's bright, green eyes. Raven smiled.

"Did I wake you up?"

"No it's fine." Rena replied with a smile. She then closed her eyes and lowered her head. There was a moment of silence. "Hey Raven." Rena called his name while still closing her eyes.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry that you got injured this badly." Rena said as she tried holding back the tears but it was too obvious to hide. Raven turned his body around despite the pain and embraced the elf with his chin on her head.

"Don't worry. It's my fault I couldn't protect you." Rena began crying. Raven caressed her hair attempting to calm her.


	4. A Plan and Feita

**Previously:**

**Elsword and Aisha continued fighting Berthe but were easily defeated. Just when Elsword thought all was lost, Raven, Rena, Chung and Eve arrived in the nick of time to help. Elsword then carried Aisha back home but when he came back, Berthe had gone and his friends were lying on the ground unconscious. **

Chapter 4- A Plan and Feita:

Raven and Rena walked down the stairs together to see everyone sitting around the table except Elsword.

"Hey guys!" Rena called out with a smile. They all smiled and greeted her. "Where's Elsword?" The elf questioned.

"We're not sure, when I woke up he was gone." Chung answered.

"Probably went to do some training." Aisha added dully. Rena thought about it for a bit before changing the topic.

"So what are you all talking about?"

"Whether we should go to Feita or Velder." Eve replied.

"I see…" Rena said as she seated herself at one side of the table with Raven. They heard the front door open and turned to see Elsword walk into the house.

"Oh… you're all here. Saved me the trouble from gathering you all." Elsword said in a depressed tone.

"What's wrong Elsword and where have you been? You made us worry." Said Aisha.

"Sorry… I was just thinking about some things."

"It's ok. You mind telling us your thoughts?" Chung asked nicely. Elsword went silent before he continued.

"I'm really sorry that I didn't do anything in our battle with Berthe. It was my fault you guys got injured so badly. Please forgive me."

"Elsword are you seriously still depressed with of that defeat?" Aisha protested.

"I'm not done yet." Aisha silenced herself as she waited for Elsword to continue. Elsword sighed before starting again.  
"I'm gonna go to Feita alo-"

"You mean we'll be going to Feita." Raven said quickly before Elsword finished. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"But-"

"Elsword we'd never blame you for that defeat. We just weren't strong enough to defeat Berthe, that's all." Raven added.

"Yeah so no need to feel bad and if it wasn't for you, we'd still be lying on the ground." Rena said with a laugh.

"Well... I did have some hel-" Elsword stopped as a knock on the door interrupted him.

"I'll get that." Eve said as she glided towards it. She opened the door to see Hoffman, Lenphad and Camilla standing there. Eve greeted them and invited them in.

"Good afternoon. Are you all feeling better now?" Hoffman greeted and asked.

"We're fine. Thanks for asking and what brings you guys here?" Aisha asked trying not to sound impolite.

"Well Hoffman found a book in the library that has tips on defeating monsters like Berthe and decided to give it to you guys, Lenphad's here to fix and upgrade your weapons and I'm here to help you guys train." Camilla said in a cheerful tone.

"Thanks but how did you guys know we needed all this help?" Chung questioned in curiosity.

"Hmphf, we know about your defeat from last night. If it wasn't for us, you guys would still be lying on the ground. We're the ones who helped Elsword carry you guys back home." Lenphad replied in a harsh tone.

"Oh. Thanks for the help then." Chung said in gratitude.

"Anyway we should start preparations as soon as possible." Camilla suggested.

* * *

**A week later:**

The Elgang completed their training and preparations and are now on their way to Feita. Everyone sat in the carriage uncomfortably as they listened to Eve give them a summarised explanation for defeating Berthe.

"Berthe has an advantage when fighting in Feita since he can summon as many glitter snipers as he wants. However, we could use them to gain mana. Don't bother using skills that'll juggle him like Elsword's Triple Geyser. It won't have much effect since he's too heavy to be knocked into the air. Also, we should only use our skills when he's been knocked down. It'll do much more damage since he won't be able to protect himself from the attacks."

"Then considering these circumstances and Berthe's disadvantage at Elder, we should've been able to defeat it back then." Raven stated.

"Yeah so why is it that we barely left a scratch on him? Even my Shooting Star didn't do anything." Said Chung.

"That's because skills that consume more than 250 mana have no effects on it." Eve replied.

"That's a problem considering the fact that we rely on them a lot." Aisha said with a sigh.

"Don't worry. Although we can't use any skills that consume more than 250 mana, we can always use the other skills. I'm sure we'll find a way to defeat Berthe." Rena said in a soothing tone. The tension that was hovering around finally lifted and everybody relaxed, except for Elsword. He was deep in thought. _This time, I'll definitely be of more use. I'll protect everyone I care and love… Aisha… _Elsword blushed as he thought of her and shook his head to clear his mind. Aisha noticed him.

"Elsword you feeling ok?" She asked. Startled, Elsword quickly looked up.

"Uh… yeah. I'm fine." He said with a smile. Aisha looked at him, unconvinced but didn't think twice about it.

The carriage came to a halt. Everyone stepped out of it and surveyed their surroundings. The area was occupied by some tents and an ominous looking temple. It was dark and cloudy and the place seemed to be in ruins.

"Should we split up and gather some information about this place?" Chung suggested.

"Splitting up would be a good and efficient idea but I'm not sure whether it's safe or not."

"Don't worry Eve, I'm sure we can take care ourselves." Rena said confidently.

"Yes but let's go in pairs just to be safe. Meet back here in an hour." Eve said. With that everyone split off into pairs. Elsword went with Aisha, Raven went with Rena and Chung went with Eve.

* * *

Chung and Eve headed to one of the tents.

"Is anybody there?" Chung called out. After a moment of silence, a young boy walked cautiously out of the tent.

"H-Hi… how can I help you?" He asked shyly.

"There's no need to be shy. We just wanted to know a bit about this place. Is it possible if you tell us a thing or two?" Eve asked. "Oh yeah, I'm Eve and this guy here is Chung."

"Nice to meet you." Chung greeted. The boy studied the two before talking.

"I'm… Allegro. Nice to meet you too. A- All I know about this place is that there is a dark energy force being emitted from the temple over there and it needs to be stopped."

"Do you have any idea what could be producing this dark energy?" Eve questioned.

"N-No but I do know that there are a lot of monsters in the temple."

"I see… Thanks for your co-operation, we won't bother you again." Eve said.

"Yeah. See you around, maybe." Chung said as he waved goodbye. Allegro waved back and headed back into the tent.

* * *

Meanwhile, Elsword and Aisha were chatting with a soldier called Lento.

"Do you know anything interesting about this place?" Aisha questioned.

"Well not much other than the fact that a beast lives in that temple."

"A beast?! Could you describe it for us?" Elsword asked.

"Well it's about five metres high when standing on all fours. Looks like a wolf and has blue and white fur. It has a pair of horns sticking out of its head, a pair of tiny legs, a pair of huge claws and a tail." Elsword and Aisha looked at each other. The description matched Berthe perfectly

"Thanks. I think that's enough information. We'll be off now." Said Elsword.

"No worries. Glad I could help." Elsword and Aisha waved goodbye as they continued exploring the place.

* * *

Raven and Rena walked along the deserted path, still finding nothing interesting.

"We also need a place where we can rest. Everyone's probably exhausted after their trip here." Rena stated.

"Yeah but there's nothing here that can provide a decent cover for us." Raven replied.

"Yeah true…" Rena sighed. They walked a bit longer in silence until they encountered a cave. "D-Do we have to go in there?" Rena asked uneasily.

"I could go in myself and check it out if you don't want to."

"No don't worry I'll come with you."

"You sure?"

"Y-Yeah." Rena replied hesitantly. Raven gave it some thought before he allowed her to come with him.

"Hold my hand so we don't get separated." Raven said as he held out his right hand for Rena to take. She grabbed it and they walked into the darkness. Raven felt Rena's grip tighten as the darkness swallowed them. He pulled her closer to his body.

"T-Thanks." Rena said while shivering.

"Don't be scared. You've got me to protect you."

"Yeah." Rena said with a smile. They walked a bit in silence before Rena yelped and stumbled. Raven caught her just before she fell.

"What's wrong?" Raven asked.

"My ankle… I think I may have twisted it." Rena replied as she groaned in pain.

"I'll carry you." Raven said as he picked Rena up gently in his arms.

"Are you sure? What if you fall over?" Rena asked in worry. Raven chuckled.

"Trust me, I won't."

"I'm not worried about myself; I'm worried about you…" Rena said in a slightly embarrassed tone. Raven chuckled again before he pecked her on the forehead with a kiss. Rena blushed.

"I'll be fine." Raven looked around to see if he could find the way out. He saw a faint glow in the distance and headed towards it. When they exited the darkness and walked into the light, they were amazed by what they saw. It was a town.


	5. Raven and Rena

**Previously:  
The Elgang had arrived at Feita and split up into pairs to gather information. However when Raven and Rena went into a cave to explore it, Rena twists her ankle. As Raven carried her into the light, they were amazed by the sight they saw…**

Chapter 5:

"I guess we found ourselves a shelter." Said Raven.

"Yeah." Rena said with a smile. Raven walked through the town with Rena in his arms until he found a hotel. It wasn't fancy but it was good enough for them to rest in. Raven walked in and place Rena on a chair.

"Wait here, I'll be back." Raven told Rena. She nodded and made herself comfortable on the chair. Raven approached the counter.

"Welcome! My name's Ariel. How can I help you?" Raven was greeted by a cheerful young lady with long blonde hair which was tied back into a ponytail.

"Hi. Do you have six single rooms available?"

"No but we do have three double rooms." Ariel replied. Raven hesitated for a bit.

"We'll take them then."

"OK! That'll be 6000ED for one night." She said while still smiling. Raven handed her the money, took the keys and went back to Rena.

"I'll take you to our room and you can rest there while I fetch the others." Raven said as he picked Rena up and carried her upstairs.

"Wait, OUR room?!" Rena blushed at the thought.

"Yeah. There are no more rooms for one person so we're all gonna have to share a room. Are you ok with that? If you don't want to I can go-."

"Don't worry, I don't mind." Rena interrupted him. "I'm just not sure about the others."

"I think they'll be fine." There was silence until they reached their room. "Is it ok if you stand for a bit while I open the door?"

"That's fine." Rena replied. Raven gently let Rena go but allowed her to lean on him while he unlocked the door. He helped Rena onto the bed closest to the door. She winced as she sat down.

"Is it ok if I leave you here while I go get the others?"

"Yeah sure and you don't have to ask so politely all the time." Rena said with a laugh.

"Uh… Sorry…" Raven said while blushing.

Rena laughed again. "Don't apologize. Just go get the others and come back safely. Ok?" Raven nodded, kissed her on the cheeks and hurried out the door.

* * *

"Where the hell is Raven and Rena. They're late." Elsword said as he paced impatiently back and forth.

"Do you think they got into some trouble?" Chung asked in a worried tone.

"I doubt it. Unless Berthe suddenly appeared out of nowhere, they should be fine." Aisha said while pretending to look certain. Another minute past before Elsword heard Raven call his name. He turned to see the swordsman walking towards them.

"Raven!" Elsword called in excitement as he ran towards him. "Where's Rena?" He asked when he approached Raven.

"She's fine. We found a place where we can all get some rest. I'll take you there." The rest of the gang followed eagerly. "Oh and by the way, you guys are gonna have to share a room with someone." Raven said as he continued walking.

"What?! Why?!" Elsword, Chung and Aisha said in unison.

"The hotel didn't have any more single rooms so I had to take the doubles. Rena and I are already sharing a room. You guys are gonna have to work something out among yourselves."

"Then I guess Elsword can go with Aisha and I'll go with Chung." Eve decided.

"Why am I sharing a room with this kid?" Aisha demanded in anger.

"This kid has a name you know…" Elsword retorted just as mad.

"Deal with it. After all you two do seem to get along sometimes." Eve stated. Elsword and Aisha blushed and argued no more. "Chung are you ok with this?"

"Um… well… if everyone else is, I guess I'm ok with it." Chung replied. Eve smiled.

* * *

"Hey Raven. You're back." Rena greeted him with a smile when he walked in. "And Aisha's here too."

"Yeah. Raven told me that you twisted your ankle so I came to see what I can do." Rena thanked Aisha as she gently removed her shoe for Aisha to check. After a few minutes of inspection, Aisha came up with a conclusion.  
"You've sprained your ankle Rena."

"That's no good. My legs are my main weapons in a fight." Rena sighed. "How long do you think it's gonna take for it to heal?"

"Probably around a week or so. Until then, you shouldn't do any exercise."

"What about Berthe? What are you guys gonna do during the week?"

"Well… we could hang around this place and do some training or we could risk it and just go to the temple tomorrow while you rest." Aisha sighed. "Just get some rest for now. I'll see if I can get anything to speed up your healing."

"Thanks Aisha." Said Rena.

"No worries." Aisha said as she left the room and closed the door behind her. Rena sighed when she left.

"How are you feeling?" Raven said in a gentle voice as he sat next to Rena.

"I'm fine. Thanks for asking." Rena replied with a smile although Raven could see the pain in her eyes.

"Tell me the truth." Rena was taken aback by his sudden fierceness.

"B-But I was…" She replied while trying to look away. However Raven grabbed her shoulders. His face was now only centimetres away from hers. Rena blushed.

"Rena I think I'm considered your boyfriend now so please, be honest with me." Raven paused before letting her go and continuing. "So, how are you feeling?"

"Well… I guess I do feel like I'm being a burden-" Rena was interrupted by Raven and her eyes widened as she realised what was happening. Raven was kissing her on the lips with deep affection. She blushed madly. It seemed forever before Raven stopped. He looked her in the eyes.

"You're not a burden Rena. Things like this happen and it can't be helped. No matter how much you consider yourself to be a burden, we won't think of you like that. If by any chance the others think you are, just remember that I would never, because I love you." Silence followed after that. A tear meandered down Rena's face.

"Thanks so much, Raven. That means a lot to me."

"It's ok as long as I made you feel better." Raven said as he wiped the tears off Rena's face.

"Yeah you did." Rena said as she leaned in and continues kissing Raven on the lips.

**That's the end of chapter five. Hope you all liked it. I was wondering whether I should increase the length of the story to around 2 000 words per chapter but take longer to update or keep it at 1 000 words and updated once a week. Post your opinions in the review section on what you'd like. Also, thanks again to everyone who has posted a review.**

**HelloKitty55443- I'll try to write faster. Thanks for the reviews anyway, your reactions make me laugh (in a good way- happy). XD**


	6. Chapter 6- Elsha and Cheve

**I'm really sorry that this chapter was late. My excuse? Same as most of the other authors… school assignments. I don't even think this chapter was worth the wait as well. Hope you guys don't mind. *Laughs awkwardly*  
**

**Em47- You probably know this by now but just in case you don't, the classes are on chapter one.**

Chapter 6- Elsha and Cheve:

Aisha walked into the room she's sharing with Elsword and saw the red-head lying on his bed fiddling with his sword.

"Hey Elsword, do you wanna go get some dinner?" Elsword looked up at the mage.

"Yeah sure. I'm starving. Is it just gonna be us two or are we getting the others as well?"

"Just us two but I plan on buying some take-away food for the rest." Elsword hesitated before he agreed to the idea. They left their room, locked the door and headed out of the hotel.

* * *

Chung and Eve sat in their room in silence, each minding their own business. Chung is reading a book but the presence of Eve made it difficult to concentrate. Eve on the other hand is analysing and memorising everything in the book Hoffman had given to her. She was so involved with her task that she had almost forgotten Chung was there.

"Uh… Eve?" Chung called her name nervously. Eve looked up.

"What's wrong?"

"Umm… I was just wondering. Even though you're a Nasod, are you sure you don't have even a little bit of emotion?"

"I am unsure what emotions feel like. Could you explain?"

"Well… an emotion is something that expresses how you feel. For example, love. When we humans are in love with someone, our heartbeat speeds up when we're near, looking or talking to that person and sometimes we blush."

"Then considering these information, does that mean you're in love with me?"

"What?! Why would you say that?"

"I was analysing you while you were explaining. Your heartbeat increased and your face went red."

"Oh, uhm… yeah I guess you could say that."

"So how do you fall in love with someone in the first place?"

"Well it's different for everyone. Some people could love someone for their looks; others might love someone because of their personality. It all depends."

"So why do you like me?" Eve walked up to Chung as she questioned him. Chung started getting really nervous.

"I like you because… you're very pretty in my opinion and you're always there for me."

"You're always there for me too." Eve said with a smile.

"I am? That's good." Chung let out a giggle.

"But listen; don't push yourself too hard ok?"

"Huh?"

"I kinda worry about that." Eve said while remembering that time with Berthe.

"Uh… well… thank you." Chung replied while blushing. Eve smiled and gave Chung a kiss on his forehead before returning to the desk. Chung continued reading his book but couldn't stop thinking about Eve.

* * *

"Elsword don't eat too fast. You're gonna choke." Just when Aisha said that, Elsword choked on a piece of meat and began having a coughing fit. Aisha patted his back to help him. "I told you."

"But I can't help it. The food is delicious and I'm starving." Aisha sighed. He was right. The trip here took eight hours so they haven't eaten anything since breakfast. Aisha then remembered that the others haven't eaten anything either and she had to get them their share. The mage devoured her meal and finished within a few minutes. She purchased some take-away food and handed them to Elsword.

"Take these to the others."

"Ok but where are you going?"

"I'm gonna go see if I can find a potion that can heal Rena's ankle. You just head home without me after you finish."

"Ok. Come back safely."

"I will." Aisha left the restaurant and headed towards the shops.

After Elsword had finished, he paid for the meal, grabbed the take-away food and headed back to their hotel. Upon reaching the hotel, Elsword saw Raven and Chung walking down the stairs

"Sup guys. Where are you going?"

"Oh hey Elsword, we were just about go buy some dinner." Chung answered.

"Aisha and I've already bought dinner for you guys." Elsword said as he handed the containers of food to them.

"Thank you. Where is Aisha anyway?" Chung questioned.

"She went to buy a potion for Rena's ankle."

"Thanks. Give Aisha our thanks as well." Said Raven.

"Yeah sure." The three walked back to their rooms together (since they were situated next to each other). Once Elsword entered his room, he kicked off his shoes and flung himself on the bed and went to sleep. He was awoken later by the sound of the shower. After lying in bed awake for a short time, Elsword heard Aisha exit the bathroom. He sat up to greet the mage but his face reddened. There was Aisha, standing there with a towel wrapped around her body, barely covering her private parts. Elsword knew what's gonna happen next. Aisha will beat him up without giving him the chance to explain and he'll wake up the next day with a sore head. He braced himself, but to his surprise, Aisha just blushed, grabbed her pyjamas, and walked back into the bathroom leaving Elsword with his mouth hanging open. _Wut?_ Was all he thought.

After Aisha re-appeared from the bathroom (with her pyjamas on) she sat down on her bed and began reading a book as though nothing had happened. There was an awkward silence for a while.

"Have you had your shower yet?" Aisha suddenly questioned.

"No. Why?"

"Cause you should." _She must be planning something. There's no way she'd forget what happened so easily. _

"_Y_ou're not planning anything are you?"

"What? No. Why would I do that."

"Swear on my life you aren't." Aisha sighed in exasperation.

"I swear on your life I'm not. Who cares about your life anyway." Aisha laughed.

"Ha ha ha, very funny." Elsword retorted in sarcasm but he believed the mage. "By the way, how is Rena's ankle? We're you able to get a potion to heal it?"

"Yeah. She should be alright by tomorrow so we'll be heading to the temple first thing after breakfast. I've told Chung and Eve already."

"Ok." Elsword got up and headed to the bathroom. By the time he came back, Aisha had already fallen asleep. Elsword walked up to her bedside and stared at her. _She actually looks pretty cute when asleep. _Elsword blushed. He leaned down and gave Aisha a kiss on the cheeks. She budged a bit but didn't open her eyes.

"Good night Aisha."


	7. The Temple

Chapter 7- The Temple:

After waking up from a night's sleep, the Elgang head towards the temple. Everyone readied their weapons as they prepared to enter. It's time to put their training to the test. They walked cautiously through the broken-down door. It was quiet at first but within a few seconds, hundreds of glitter monsters and stone golems revealed themselves. The gang was taken by surprise but they remained focused.

"**SHARP SHOOTER SYNDROME!"** Chung initiated the fight with a powerful spell, killing most of the monsters surrounding them.

"**GENERATE BLACK HOLE!"** Eve generated a black hole and pulled all the monsters in, she then triggered it to explode finishing the remaining monsters.

"Nice job guys." Elsword complimented the two before they continued through the temple. Together, the gang cleared out waves after waves of monsters.

"**VIOLENT ATTACK!"** Rena yelled as she finished off the last glitter spearman. She landed on the ground safely.

"How's your ankle?" Raven asked Rena as the gang moved on through the temple.

"It's fine but that last attack did hurt a bit."

"Are sure you'll be fine?" Raven questioned in a worried tone.

"Yeah of course. Besides, it only hurts when I over exert it."

"Ok. Tell me if you need help."

"I will. Thanks Raven" They gave each other a smile and continued walking. It wasn't long before the gang discovered a door the size of a three storey building.

"Careful guys. I can sense a menacing aura from behind." Aisha warned and suggested.

"Ok. Thanks for telling us." Everyone awakened themselves before Elsword kicked the door. It was lighter than he expected so it swung open easily. They entered the circular room which was dimly lit by the torches on the walls. There at the back of the room stood a huge knight in grey armour. It held a demonic shield and sword and instead of having a head, it had a purple fire floating above its neck.

"Inturders?!" It bellowed in its low voice. Eve scanned the monster.

"That's Dullahan Knight. Attack it from behind to avoid the shield." She said.

"Got it. Aisha, Rena and Eve, wait for our signal and then attack. Chung, back us up with a shooting star." Everyone nodded as they processed Raven's words. "Let's go Elsword."

"Ok!"

"**ARCH ENEMY!"**Raven summoned four black javelins before charging towards the Dullahan Knight with Elsword by his side.

"**SHOOTING STAR!"** Chung sent his twelve missiles towards Dullahan Knight but it blocked them all with its shield. Using this moment, Raven and Elsword quickly got behind it with 'Shadow Step' and 'Roll'.

"**FLAME GEYSER!"** Elsword launched Dullahan Knight into the air who was then caught by Raven in a deadly combo. He continued the combo until all four javelins impaled the dark knight before knocking it down with 'X Crash'.

"Now!" Raven signalled to the others to attack.

"**CHAIN BURST!"**

"**PHEONIX STRIKE!"**

"**HORNET STING!"**

"ARGH! You… win…" Dullahan Knight said before its purple aura disappeared and its body collapsed on the floor, lifeless.

"Woo hoo! We did it! That was easier than I thought." Aisha cheered.

"We may have won that fight easily but we mustn't let our guards down. There are still much more powerful monsters to fight until we get to Berthe." Eve said bluntly. Aisha sighed.

"Jeez thanks for ruining the moment …"

"I am merely saying the truth. If you're gonna be so carefree and relaxed all the time, you might as well give up now." Aisha glared at Eve.

"What's wrong with being carefree and relaxed? Oh wait, you're a Nasod so you wouldn't understand. Having a Nasod life is so boring."

"Don't you dare insult the Nasods in front of me!"

"I didn't insult them. I just said the truth. Sheesh…"

"H-Hey… I don't think you guys should fight with each other… Please, let's just get al-"

"Shut up Chung how do you expect me to get along with this emotionless 'Queen'. Why the hell do you like her anyway?"

"Wh-what?!"

"Leave Chung out of this Aisha.

"He was the one who got himself involved."

"SHUT UP. BOTH OF YOU!" The mage and Nasod stopped their bickering and stared at the elf.

"What's wrong?" Elsword questioned as he approached the girls. Raven looked at Rena who shook her head, signalling him not to talk about it. Raven understood and stopped Elsword from prying any further.

"Anyway let's get going. It's not good to hang around here." Said Rena. Everyone agreed silently and followed her through the corridor at the other side of the room. They walked in an uncomfortable silence until they heard the growling of more glitter monsters. The dark filled with noise as the monsters charged towards them. The Elgang reacted quickly to the sudden attack and were able to defeat the mob without any casualties. They continued to walk in silence until they saw two portals. Eve scanned the portals to see where they lead but came up with nothing.

"We're gonna have to pick a random one to go through then." Elsword said as he headed for the portal on the left but was stopped by Raven. "What's wrong Raven?"

"I think we should find a different path instead of walking through the portals."

"Why? There are no other paths to take."

"But you don't know where they lead."

"You won't know until you try." Elsword said as he shrugged off Raven.

"Elsword!" The red knight stopped in his tracks and stared at Raven.

"What?" He said in a pissed off tone.

"I said we should take a different route." Raven said slowly and menacingly.

"Ooo… scary. Mister emo dude's gonna rip me to shreds if I don't listen to him." Chung and Rena tensed when they notice Raven's nasod arm begin to glow.

"H-Hey Raven calm down. You don't have to get so worked up over this." Rena tried calming the Reckless Fist down.

"What would you do Rena? Would you go through the portal or would you find a different route?" Raven questioned the elf. Rena was taken aback by his fierce tone but she stayed calm.

"Arghh… this is going nowhere. I'm just gonna leave without you guys." Elsword glanced at Aisha before he disappeared into the portal.

"Elsword wait!" Aisha called out as she followed him in. Rena sighed in exasperation.

"So what are we gonna do now?" She said.

"I'm gonna find a different route, you guys do whatever you want." Raven said as he turned and walked away.

"Will you two be alright if I left?" Rena asked Chung and Eve.

"Yeah we'll be fine. You just go with Raven." Chung said with a smile. Rena nodded before running to catch up with Raven.

Chung and Eve watched as they disappeared from sight.

"So what are we going to do?" Chung asked Eve.

"We'll go through the other portal." She replied. He watched her enter the portal before following close behind. He knew something wasn't right. It was as though everyone had been corrupted. If so, what was the source and why didn't it affect Rena and himself?


End file.
